Toward Sustainable Shipping: Prioritizing Green Behaviors Among Ship Officers Using Delphi and Interval Type-2 F-AHP

In response to the growing need for decarbonization in the maritime industry, identifying and prioritizing environmentally responsible shipboard behaviors has become increasingly important. This study proposes an integrated Delphi–Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (IT2F-AHP) framework to identify and prioritize Employee Green Behaviors (EGBs) among officer-class seafarers, who play a central role in implementing sustainability practices during daily ship operations. First, a three-round Delphi process was conducted to establish expert consensus on the most relevant green behaviors. Subsequently, IT2F-AHP was employed to prioritize these behaviors while addressing the uncertainty inherent in expert judgments. The results indicate that resource efficiency, energy conservation, and adherence to ballast water management regulations are the highest-priority behaviors for supporting sustainable ship operations. The proposed framework provides a systematic and transparent decision-support tool for shipping companies, maritime education and training institutions, and policymakers to develop targeted training programs, operational procedures, and sustainability strategies. By integrating expert consensus with advanced multi-criteria decision-making, this study contributes to the behavioral dimension of sustainable shipping and offers a practical framework for promoting the green transformation in maritime operations.